Abstract
The assessment of water qualities for irrigation in river Katsina-Ala catchment areas of Benue State was carried out. Surface water and groundwater samples from three selected catchment areas namely, Logo, Ambighir and Katsina-Ala, were collected and analyzed for physicochemical parameters. Several soil samples were also analysed for infiltration capacity. All the physicochemical parameters monitored fell within FAO specifications for irrigation purposes. Groundwater samples were found to have higher concentrations of physicochemical parameters than surface water. On the basis of hydrochemical classification, earth alkali types were dominant (100%) in both groundwater and surface water samples while the alkali type was totally absent. Assessment of the water samples for irrigation showed that the water samples posed no problems with regard to sodicity, salinity and lime deposition. However, high risk of infiltration was envisaged as a result of very low values of conductivity (0.03ds/m – 0.13ds/m). At the present, infiltration problem is minimal because of high proportion of sand (68% 89%) in the soils but this situation may not be sustained for long. A regression model (R = 0.773) was obtained which showed that the rate of infiltration strongly depended on the sand content of soil. Both water and soil samples were found to be suitable for a wide range of irrigation.
Highlights
The demand for water has been on the increase because its uses have become more varied.Water is indispensable in man’s activities
Annual rainfall in Benue varies from about 900 to 1200mm (Jimba and Adegoye, 2000).In Benue State, rainfed agriculture has suffered varying lengths and intensities of agricultural drought, necessitating irrigation in order to satisfy the moisture requirements of crops needed to meet the demands for food and fibre
Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) of the water were analysed in the laboratory based on the Standard Methods (APHA, 1998).Sodium, potassium, chloride and boron were determined using flame photometer
Summary
The demand for water has been on the increase because its uses have become more varied.Water is indispensable in man’s activities. Benue State is located in the North Central geopolitical zone of Nigeria and lies within the Southern Guinea Savanna agro-ecological zone where rainfall is often erratic and inadequate in amount and distribution for production of some crops. In Nigeria, annual rainfall varies from about 500mm in the extreme North to about 3000mm in the south and the rainfall is high in intensity. Annual rainfall in Benue varies from about 900 to 1200mm (Jimba and Adegoye, 2000).In Benue State, rainfed agriculture has suffered varying lengths and intensities of agricultural drought, necessitating irrigation in order to satisfy the moisture requirements of crops needed to meet the demands for food and fibre. To alleviate the problem of moisture stress during the prolonged gaps between rains as well as in dry season, supplementary irrigation is provided.This is
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